Paul Hartmut Würdig (born 30 November 1980), better known as Sido, is a German
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
. He interprets his artist name as "super-intelligentes Drogenopfer" (super-intelligent drug victim). It used to stand for "Scheiße in dein Ohr" (shit into your ear), a line from his track "Terroarr".
Sido distinguishes himself by using provocative and aggressive lyrics. After his breakthrough with his debut album ''
Maske'' in 2004, he was always seen wearing a silver skull mask. However, since 2005, he no longer wears the mask.
Würdig's career began in 1997, as one half of duo
Royal TS (now
A.i.d.S) with
B-Tight, both of whom were later signed to the label Berlin hip hop
Royal Bunker and then to
Aggro Berlin in 2001. As of 2009, Sido is signed to
Urban/Universal Music Group.
Early life
Würdig was born to a German father and a
Sinti
The Sinti (also ''Sinta'' or ''Sinte''; masc. sing. ''Sinto''; fem. sing. ''Sintesa'') are a subgroup of Romani people mostly found in Germany and Central Europe that number around 200,000 people. They were traditionally itinerant, but today o ...
mother. At the age of eight, he and his younger sister were brought up by their mother in
East Berlin
East Berlin was the ''de facto'' capital city of East Germany from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as West Berlin. From 13 August 1961 u ...
in the
Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood. In 1988, the family moved to
West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
, where they first lived in emergency accommodation in
Wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
along with many asylum seekers. They then moved into
Märkisches Viertel, a high-rise residential area in the Berlin borough of
Reinickendorf. During his childhood and youth, Märkisches Viertel had a high proportion of migrants and low-income families. There he attended the Bettina-von-Arnim-Oberschule and afterwards began an apprenticeship as an educator, which he never completed.
Career
1997–2002: Early career
Sido has been active in the music business since 1997. Together with his best friend
B-Tight he released several EPs and demos under the name
Royal TS, which were never officially published, at the Berlin
underground hip hop label
Royal Bunker. Sido had been friends with
DJ Tomekk for a long time. The two made a dubplate from ''Arschficksong'' and DJ Tomekk played them in clubs all over Germany, presenting Sido to a wider audience for the first time. Specter was art director for DJ Tomekk at that time. At a concert the duo got the attention of Halil, Specter and Spaiche - the later founders of the Aggro Berlin label.
2003–2004: First successes and ''Maske''
Sido's solo career began in 2002 with the "Arschficksong" ("Ass-fuck song") on the sampler ''Aggro Ansage Nr. 1'' and the "Weihnachtssong" ("Christmas song") on ''Aggro Ansage Nr. 3''.
In 2004, Sido's debut album ''
Maske'' was released, reaching No. 3 on the German charts and selling more than 180,000 copies to date, achieving gold status. The lead single "Mein Block" ("My hood") reached No. 13 on the German charts, the second single "Fuffies im Club" ("€50 notes in the club") reached No. 18 and the third single "Mama ist stolz" ("Mum is proud") reached No. 25. The original album was banned because of the song "Endlich Wochenende" ("Finally weekend") which, according to the
Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons
The Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (german: link=no, Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien or ''BPjM'') is an upper-level German federal censorship agency subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Family Affai ...
, glorified the use of drugs. The album was rereleased under the name "Maske X" with the song "Arschficksong" in replacement of "Endlich Wochenende". The song was also published (with the video slightly censored), for the first time as a single.
In September of the same year, he won a prestigious German music award for "Best Newcomer." The best-known song from that album, "Mein Block", describes life from a resident's perspective in the
Märkisches Viertel, a low-income neighborhood of Berlin, detailing the
narcotic
The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
s trade, alcoholism, problems with police, and poverty in Sido's ''Block'', or building.
2005–2006: Other projects and ''Ich''
After this debut album, together with his Label colleagues
B-Tight and
Fler
Patrick Losenský (born 3 April 1982), known professionally as Fler, is a German rapper and the CEO of Maskulin Music Group.
Career
2000–2006: Beginnings
Fler was first recognized in the rap scene through collaborations with Bushido. T ...
, he released two label samplers: ''Aggro Ansage Nr. 4'' and ''Aggro Ansage Nr. 5'' (which featured the new label artists Tony D and G-Hot).
In 2005, Sido performed with and represented
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
in the
Bundesvision Song Contest 2005
The Bundesvision Song Contest 2005 was the first edition of the annual Bundesvision Song Contest musical event. The contest was held on 12 February 2005 at the König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The contest was hosted by ...
with the song "Mama ist stolz", placing 3rd with 113 points.
Later he collaborated with rapper
Harris, as the rap duo ''Deine Lieblings Rapper'' ("Your favorite rappers"). In 2005, they released their debut album ''Dein Lieblings Album'' ("Your favorite album"), with "Steh wieder auf" ("Get up again") as the only single.
In December 2006, Sido released his second album ''
Ich
Ich may refer to:
* Ich, a German pronoun meaning ''I'', also a Middle English form of ''I''
* The ego, one of the psychic apparatus defined in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche
* ''Ich'' (album), an album by German rapper Sido
* ...
'', which reached No. 4 in the German album charts. Three singles ("Strassenjunge", "Ein Teil von mir" and "Schlechtes Vorbild") were released. The album achieved gold status.
2007: Sektenmusik
In 2007, Sido and B-Tight (alias
A.i.d.S.) formed their label
Sektenmuzik and a rap-crew named
Die Sekte
Die Sekte is a German rap group from Berlin, formed in 1998 by Sido, B-Tight, Rhymin Simon and Vokalmatador. Originally it consisted of only Sido and B-Tight, also known as duo A.i.d.S.
Since 2009, with the release of their debut album '' Die ...
(with Rhymin Simon and Vokalmatador). Tony D joined later.
2008: ''Ich und meine Maske'' and Popstars
His third album ''
Ich und meine Maske
''Ich und meine Maske'' ("Me and my mask") is the third solo album by German rapper Sido. It was released on 30 May 2008 on his label Aggro Berlin. The style is, according to Sido, a mix between his two last albums, ''Maske'' and '' Ich''.
T ...
'' was released at the end of May 2008. It reached No. 1 in the German album charts. The singles "Augen auf"/Halt dein Maul", "Carmen", "Herz", "Nein!" and "Beweg dein Arsch" had success in the charts.
In August 2008, Sido joined the seventh season of ''
Popstars'', called "
Just 4 Girls", as a jury member, along with
Detlef D! Soost and
Loona. Many people were surprised, wondering why Sido, the rapper with his provocative and aggressive lyrics, would join a TV show like ''Popstars''.
At the end of ''Popstars'', the band
Queensberry was formed.
2009: ''Aggro Berlin''
On 1 April 2009, the label Aggro Berlin was closed. Sido was then signed by
Urban Records
Urban Records is a German record label subsidiary of Universal Music Group.
See also
* List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or tr ...
, a division of Universal Music Germany.
On 30 October 2009, Sido released his fourth studio album ''
Aggro Berlin''. The lead single "Hey du!" ranked No. 4 in the German Charts. In this song Sido talks about growing up in
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...
and his later life in
West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
. He reported that he kept his East Berlin origins secret for a long time for fear of bullying.
Personal life
Würdig has a son, whose name and date of birth are not known publicly, but he references him in the songs "Aggro Gold" and "2010", amongst others.
He began dating former
Nu Pagadi
Nu Pagadi was a German pop band, formed in December 2004 on the fourth season of international reality television program '' Popstars''. Originally a quartet, from May 2005 a trio, the group described their own musical style as "glam rock". In ...
lead singer Doreen Steinert in mid-2005 and on 14 February 2010 they became engaged. But in April 2012 they broke off their engagement. Just a few weeks later, in early May 2012, Würdig confirmed rumors that he had started dating German TV presenter Charlotte Engelhardt. Sido had a second son with Engelhardt in 2013.
Würdig is the second cousin of the German ''
DSDS
''Deutschland sucht den Superstar'' (''DSDS''; "Germany is looking for the Superstar") is a German reality talent show. Part of the ''Idol'' franchise, it was created by British media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show ''Po ...
'' participant Menowin Fröhlich.
Controversy
The perceived rebellious tendencies of Sido's label affiliates
B-Tight,
Fler
Patrick Losenský (born 3 April 1982), known professionally as Fler, is a German rapper and the CEO of Maskulin Music Group.
Career
2000–2006: Beginnings
Fler was first recognized in the rap scene through collaborations with Bushido. T ...
, and G-Hot, whose persona emphasize embittered racial or class standpoints, have garnered additional discussion in widely circulated publications.
MTV HipHop Open
July 2004, Sido performed live in
Stuttgart for the festival MTV HipHop Open. During his performances he insulted
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
rapper
Azad's mother saying: "If we had a bed right here, I'd bang Azad's mother". A week later Sido and Azad met each other backstage, and after a short dispute, it escalated into a brawl that involved the artists of
Aggro Berlin and Bozz Music. The security and the police arrived to stop the conflict, but Azad and his crew had fled already.
Schlägerei beim HipHopOpen: Stellungnahmen von Bozz Music und Aggro Berlin
Discography
Studio albums
* '' Maske'' (2004)
* ''Ich
Ich may refer to:
* Ich, a German pronoun meaning ''I'', also a Middle English form of ''I''
* The ego, one of the psychic apparatus defined in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche
* ''Ich'' (album), an album by German rapper Sido
* ...
'' (2006)
* ''Ich und meine Maske
''Ich und meine Maske'' ("Me and my mask") is the third solo album by German rapper Sido. It was released on 30 May 2008 on his label Aggro Berlin. The style is, according to Sido, a mix between his two last albums, ''Maske'' and '' Ich''.
T ...
'' (2008)
* '' Aggro Berlin'' (2009)
* ''30.11.80'' (2013)
* ''VI'' (2015)
* ''Das goldene Album'' (2016)
* ''Ich & keine Maske'' (2019)
Live albums
* ''MTV Unplugged Live aus'm MV'' (arranged and produced by Sven Helbig
Sven Helbig (born in 1968) is a German composer and director. He composes orchestral, chamber and choral music. Beside this, he is active in the field of electronic music ( dark ambient, noise, field recordings). Helbig's versatility has made him ...
) (2010)
Collaborations
* ''Dein Lieblingsalbum'' (with Deine Lieblingsrapper) (2005)
* ''Die Sekte
Die Sekte is a German rap group from Berlin, formed in 1998 by Sido, B-Tight
Robert Edward Davis (born 28 December 1979), better known by his stage name B-Tight, is an American-born German rapper.
Early life
Davis was born in Palm Spring ...
'' (with Die Sekte
Die Sekte is a German rap group from Berlin, formed in 1998 by Sido, B-Tight, Rhymin Simon and Vokalmatador. Originally it consisted of only Sido and B-Tight, also known as duo A.i.d.S.
Since 2009, with the release of their debut album '' Die ...
) (2009)
* '' 23'' (with Bushido) (2011)
* ''Crystals'' (with Eskimo Callboy
Electric Callboy (formerly known as Eskimo Callboy) is a German electronicore band formed in Castrop-Rauxel in 2010. They take a more relaxed approach to the genre, and are known for their comedic songs, live shows and videos.
History Early r ...
) (2015)
* ''Royal Bunker'' (with Kool Savas
Savaş Yurderi (born 10 February 1975), known by his stage name Kool Savas, is a German rapper. Along with Taktlo$$, he formed the highly influential German rap duo Westberlin Maskulin (1997–2000). He was also a founding member of the German ...
) (2017)
Soundtrack
* ''Blutzbrüdaz – Die Mukke zum Film'' (with various artists) (2011)
Compilation
* ''No. Beste'' (2012)
* ''Kronjuwelen'' (2018)
Filmography
Awards and certifications
* 2004: Bravo Otto
The Bravo Otto is a German accolade honoring excellence of performers in film, television and music. Established in 1957, the award is presented annually, with winners selected by the readers of ''Bravo'' magazine. The award is presented in ...
in Gold in the category "National rapper"
* 2004: Comet in the category "National Newcomer"
* 2006: Bravo Otto in silver in the category "Best Rapper National" (Sido)
* 2006: Juice-Awards: 1st place in the category "Album National" for "Ich"
* 2007: Golden Tape for 15 No. 1 rankings "Strassenjunge" in the video on MTV's TRL
* 2007: Bravo Otto in silver in the category "National Hip-Hop"
* 2009: Swiss Music Award in the category "Best Urban Album International"
* 2009: Comet in the category "Best Song"
* 2010: Echo
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
in the category "Best Video" for "Hey Du"!
* 2010: Comet in the category "Best Song"
* 2010: MTV Europe Music Award
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
in the category ''Best German Act''
* 2011: Comet in the category "Best Artist"
* 2012: Echo-winner in the category ''Bestes Video National for ''So mach ich es'' with Bushido
Gold Record[Auszeichnungen]
DE
AT
CH
/ref>
*Germany
** 2004: for the album "Maske"
** 2004: for the sampler "Aggro Ansage Nr. 4"
** 2005: for the sampler "Aggro Ansage Nr. 5"
** 2006: for the album "Ich"
** 2011: for the album "Ich und meine Maske"
** 2012: for the album "23"
** 2013: for the single "Der Himmel soll warten"
*Austria
** 2008: for the album "Ich und meine Maske"
** 2011: for the album "23"
** 2012: for the album "Blutzbrüdaz - die Mukke zum Film"
*Switzerland
** 2008: for the album "Ich und meine Maske"
Platinum Record
* Switzerland
** 2009: for the album "Ich und meine Maske"
Literature
*
References
External links
Official website
aggroberlin.de
on laut.de
laut.de is a German online magazine dealing exclusively with entertainment music, especially pop music, rock music, alternative, metal, hip-hop, jazz and techno. It comprises record reviews, interviews, biographies of important artists, music ...
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sido
Echo (music award) winners
German autobiographers
German people of Iranian descent
German people of Sinti descent
German rappers
Hip hop record producers
Living people
Masked musicians
Musicians from Berlin
Participants in the Bundesvision Song Contest
1980 births
German male non-fiction writers
MTV Europe Music Award winners
People from Reinickendorf